Turkish military are sending armored vehicles and gendarmerie forces to the border with Syria, Anadolu news agency reported on Wednesday.

Tanks, armored troops carriers and technical machinery accompanied by the gendarmerie forces were deployed to the Elbeyli district of Kilis province on the Syrian border, Anadolu wrote, citing its military source.

A road from Kilis goes to the Syrian city of Aleppo, the eastern parts of which were liberated from militants in December 2016, Sputnik reported.

Turkey is currently conducting an operation in Syria dubbed Euphrates Shield. On August 24, Turkish forces, supported by Free Syrian Army rebels and US-led coalition aircraft, began a military operation dubbed the Euphrates Shield to clear the Syrian border town of Jarabulus and the surrounding area from Daesh (also known as ISIL or ISIS) terrorist group. As Jarabulus was retaken, the joint forces of Ankara, the coalition and Syrian rebels continued the operation to gain control over Al-Bab in the Aleppo province.

Al-Bab is one of Daesh’s last remaining strongholds near the Turkish border. Capturing the city is of strategic importance to Turkey in order to prevent the Syrian Kurds taking it and unifying their own territories.